The Desolate Era (Web Novel) - Book 2, Chapter 11 - Entering the Marsh

He is the great master of the Heavenly God Temple, under whom there are thirty-six Heavenly Stars and seventy-two Earthly Fiends, overseeing nearly half of the world's wealth.To uncover the secret of his origins, he holds a marriage certificate and hides away in the bustling city, becoming a live-in son-in-law that others see as living off his wife.His mother-in-law constantly mocks him and disapproves of the marriage, but little did she know that the world's richest man would visit personally just to leave a good impression on him.Ye Guichen felt helpless: Alright, I’ll come clean then...

The universe is big, and Hayden’s about to invade it. Being drafted into a demon army wasn’t on Hayden’s bucket list. But when his soul is shoved into a human soldier on the eve of a new invasion, it’s not exactly like he can appeal the decision. Surrounding Hayden are demons, excited and ready. For them, the invasion promises a feast of souls and new growth. Their target? Berlis — a sword and sorcery realm straight out of classic fantasy. Hayden’s human status puts him at the bottom of the totem pole, meant to be cannon fodder that soaks up damage and dies first. But as he plunges into the carnage, he’s learning that he was born for the madness. Readers can expect: + Grimdark action and violence + Fighting, lots of it + Multiple worlds and magic systems + Slow burn

Kenji’s life was hard. During the day, he worked in a bookstore. At night, he served ramen. He did it all to take care of his family. His mom was sick and needed medicine, and his little sister needed money for school. His best-paying gig was working for a mysterious author, illustrating the manga for a popular web novel. There was just one problem: he hated the story.He was in the middle of drawing the academy arc when his frustration peaked. The story’s villain, a rich kid named Azrael Ashveil, was weak. He made dumb mistakes and died unfairly. Kenji thought the character deserved better. After finishing a panel showing Hero's Victory, Kenji collapsed from exhaustion.He wakes up not in his small apartment but in a fancy bed with silk sheets. Looking in the mirror he sees the handsome, violet-eyed face of Azrael Ashveil. He has entered the story he hated and is now the doomed villain.Worse, he's arrived late to the party. The original Azrael has already made a mess of things. The story's golden-boy hero, Kaelen, already despises him. His beautiful wife, the half-elf heroine Elvara, is terrified of him. And all of his death flags-the events that lead to his execution are right around the corner.Azrael must use his knowledge of the future just to stay alive. Can a minor villain with no power of his own really change his fate, or will he just find a new, even more tragic ending than the one he was trying to escape?

“You Scammer! Return me my 10,000-year-old Mystic Jade Staff!”“You lost it fair and square in the gamble, Grand Elder. I can’t help it if your so-called Profound Scrying Eyes couldn’t see through my cups.”“What cups!? Those were the Divine Temple Bells of the Mahayana Temple!”“And?”“Even the Immortal Monarch himself can’t see through them, you thief!”***“What do you mean you won’t reimburse me for the Flying Sword Insurance I took?”“The terms and conditions clearly state that there will be no reimbursement within the first year of taking out the policy.”“You never said that!”“And you never read the fine print in the contract, Patriarch.”“The fine print that was written with illusory ink!? You bastard!”***“How did my small loan of 1,000 Immortal Stones turn into a debt of 100,000 Immortal Stones? You loan shark!”“That’s just the power of compounding, my friend.”“You call that compounding? I took the loan last week, you scammer! And I’m not your friend, I’m the goddamn Emperor!”***“How are you not dead? I saw your corpse with my own eyes!”“My death was greatly exaggerated, Senior Sister.”“You didn’t even have a head!”“Like I said, exaggerated.”***In the vast world of cultivation, where honor and integrity reign supreme, one man dares to defy the heavens—not with sword or spell, but with deception and trickery.Once a lowly street urchin, Han Yu quickly realized that cultivation required three things: talent, resources, and powerful backers. He had none of those. What he did have, however, was a sharp tongue, quick hands, and a complete lack of shame.From gambling dens to immortal auctions, from conning sect elders to running an interdimensional insurance scam, Han Yu’s reputation spreads across the cultivation world like an unstoppable plague.No treasure is too sacred, no contract too ironclad, and no oath too unbreakable for him to twist to his advantage. Even the mighty Immortal Clans dare not underestimate him—after all, the last sect that tried ended up legally belonging to him.With a growing list of enemies, a debt larger than some celestial empires, and a skillset that consists entirely of loopholes, misdirection, and sheer audacity, Han Yu’s journey to the peak of immortality is anything but conventional.Will he be hunted down by every major power in the realm? Will he accidentally scam his way into becoming an Immortal Emperor? Or will he outwit even fate itself and make the heavens owe him a favor?One thing is certain—when Han Yu is involved, nothing is ever fair, but the house always wins.-------P.S: This book is set in the universe of Walker of the Words and is in the same time period.Tags: #Comedy#weak to strong#Scamming#Beast companions#Monster Master#World Exploration#Faceslapping#Overpowered Cheats#Pretending to be weak